Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway
Encyclopedia
Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway (Norwegian: Ingebjørg Eiriksdatter) (1297–1357) was a medieval Norwegian
princess and by marriage a Swedish princess, Duchess of Uppland
, Öland
and Finland
, with a seat in the regency government of her nephew, Magnus IV of Sweden
.
. Maternally, she was a niece of Robert the Bruce and first cousin of Marjorie Bruce
. She and Marjorie were the same age, but never met. Her half-sister, Margaret I of Scotland
, died before she was born.
She was probably named after her father's mother, also Ingeborg Eriksdotter
, a Danish
princess.
, as he died without sons. Her mother never remarried.
In 1300, Ingeborg's mother arranged her three-year-old daughter's engagement to Jon Magnusson, Earl of Orkney
(died 1311). The marriage never took place; it is unclear whether the engagement was called off or if he died before her coming of age.
In 1312, Ingeborg married Prince Valdemar Magnusson of Sweden, Duke of Finland
in Oslo
(another match arranged by her mother) in a double wedding with her younger cousin Ingeborg of Norway
. (Ingeborg Håkansdotter was the only legitimate daughter of King Haakon.) Her cousin married the second son of the king of Sweden, while fifteen-year-old Ingeborg married the third son. Her dower
included the island of Öland
, whereby she was occasionally mentioned as Duchess of Öland. King Birger of Sweden became her brother-in-law.
In 1316, she had a son who probably died young.
On the night between the tenth and eleventh of December 1317, her husband Valdemar and his brother Eric were arrested and chained during a call on their elder brother King Birger in Nyköping
. At the imprisonment of her husband and brother-in-law, she and her cousin and sister-in-law, Ingeborg Håkansdotter, became the leaders of their spouses' followers. On 16 April 1318, "the two duchesses Ingeborg" made a treaty in Kalmar
with the Danish duke Christoffer of Halland-Samsö and archbishop Esgar of Lund to free their husbands and not to make peace with the kings of Sweden and Denmark before they agreed to this, and the two duchesses promised to honour the promises they gave in return in the names of their husbands. Later the same year, their husbands were confirmed to have died. No one knows for certain how the two brothers died. They either starved to death or were murdered.
The "two Duchesses Ingeborg" are thus mentioned once in 1318 as acting for the government alongside Mats Kettilmundsson. It appears then as if Ingeborg had a seat at that time in the guardian government of her cousin Ingeborg's underage son, King Magnus
, though there is no list of those seat members and no other evidence that she actually was on it. Her sister-in-law did remain a powerful politician for decades. Ingeborg Eriksdotter was styled Duchess of Öland
from at least 1340, survivng her late husband long after his death and staying in Sweden until her own death.
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
princess and by marriage a Swedish princess, Duchess of Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, with a seat in the regency government of her nephew, Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
.
Family
Ingeborg was the daughter of King Eric II of Norway and Isabel BruceIsabel Bruce
Isabel Bruce was a Queen consort of Norway, married to King Eric II.-Biography:...
. Maternally, she was a niece of Robert the Bruce and first cousin of Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stewart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland gave rise to the House of Stewart...
. She and Marjorie were the same age, but never met. Her half-sister, Margaret I of Scotland
Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret , usually known as the Maid of Norway , sometimes known as Margaret of Scotland , was a Norwegian princess who was Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death...
, died before she was born.
She was probably named after her father's mother, also Ingeborg Eriksdotter
Ingeborg of Denmark, Queen of Norway
Ingeborg Eriksdotter was a Danish princess. She was married to King Magnus VI of Norway and was Queen consort of Norway. Later as Queen dowager, she played an important part in politics during the minority of her son King Eirik II of Norway.-Biography:Ingeborg was born the daughter of Eric IV of...
, a Danish
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
princess.
Life
Her father, Eric II, died on 15 July 1299, when Ingeborg was one or two years old. He is remembered as a weak and inoffensive king who was mostly guided by his councillors, and was succeeded by his younger brother Haakon V of NorwayHaakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...
, as he died without sons. Her mother never remarried.
In 1300, Ingeborg's mother arranged her three-year-old daughter's engagement to Jon Magnusson, Earl of Orkney
Jon Magnusson, Earl of Orkney
Jón Magnússon was Earl of Orkney in 1284–c. 1300....
(died 1311). The marriage never took place; it is unclear whether the engagement was called off or if he died before her coming of age.
In 1312, Ingeborg married Prince Valdemar Magnusson of Sweden, Duke of Finland
Duke of Finland
Duke of Finland was an occasional medieval title granted as a tertiogeniture to the relatives of the King of Sweden between the 13th and 16th centuries. It included a duchy along with the feudal customs, and often meant a veritably independent principality...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(another match arranged by her mother) in a double wedding with her younger cousin Ingeborg of Norway
Ingeborg of Norway
Ingeborg of Norway , was a Norwegian and by marriage Swedish princess and royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway and Sweden...
. (Ingeborg Håkansdotter was the only legitimate daughter of King Haakon.) Her cousin married the second son of the king of Sweden, while fifteen-year-old Ingeborg married the third son. Her dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
included the island of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
, whereby she was occasionally mentioned as Duchess of Öland. King Birger of Sweden became her brother-in-law.
In 1316, she had a son who probably died young.
On the night between the tenth and eleventh of December 1317, her husband Valdemar and his brother Eric were arrested and chained during a call on their elder brother King Birger in Nyköping
Nyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
. At the imprisonment of her husband and brother-in-law, she and her cousin and sister-in-law, Ingeborg Håkansdotter, became the leaders of their spouses' followers. On 16 April 1318, "the two duchesses Ingeborg" made a treaty in Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
with the Danish duke Christoffer of Halland-Samsö and archbishop Esgar of Lund to free their husbands and not to make peace with the kings of Sweden and Denmark before they agreed to this, and the two duchesses promised to honour the promises they gave in return in the names of their husbands. Later the same year, their husbands were confirmed to have died. No one knows for certain how the two brothers died. They either starved to death or were murdered.
The "two Duchesses Ingeborg" are thus mentioned once in 1318 as acting for the government alongside Mats Kettilmundsson. It appears then as if Ingeborg had a seat at that time in the guardian government of her cousin Ingeborg's underage son, King Magnus
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
, though there is no list of those seat members and no other evidence that she actually was on it. Her sister-in-law did remain a powerful politician for decades. Ingeborg Eriksdotter was styled Duchess of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
from at least 1340, survivng her late husband long after his death and staying in Sweden until her own death.